Tenney Family: Millett Family Reunion 2010

This year's Millett Family Reunion was at Aunt Patsy and Uncle Larry's Cabin. The reunion was held August 5th, 6th and 7th and some even stayed over the last day of the weekend and didn't have to leave until the 8th. Patsy and Larry were gracious enough to let 15 adults and 17 kids invade their beautiful scenery. We all had a great time. We missed Dustin a lot this year and were so glad that Ashley and the kids still came to enjoy the reunion with all of us.

We all got to enjoy some R&R but the things the kids loved the most was the hammock. Of course, my kids had never been in one before and they called it the hanky instead of the hammock. I finally had them calling it the right name by the time we were ready to leave.

This was a rare moment when there weren't just kids in the hammock. This was the morning before we left...Abbie enjoying time relaxing with her daddy!

Yep, that would be Kaden loving the hammock and hanging his head out as it swings.

This is the kids eating Japanese food. Ashley and Dustin made this for the reunion last year and we wanted to continue the tradition in honor of Dustin. My mom and dad helped Ashley cook the super yummy food. Even the picky eaters loved it. Such a fun tradition!

On friday we went to Mirror Lake. A few stayed back at the cabin to relax. My dad and I put in the canoe at the boat ramp and paddled across the lake to where the family was setting up their fishing gear. On the way across the lake my dad caught a fish! This was the hot fishing boat and each of the grandkids wanted a turn so they could catch a fish.

Kai, Abbie and Zander each got to reel in a fish. Unfortunately as we were putting the net underneath Abbie and Zander's fish, they jumped off. They were bummed that their fish got away but, they were pretty funny realing in their fish....they were all over the place with their pole....up and down sometime their tip of the rod in the water then back out and reeling slow then fast. Being in a canoe, I couldn't just flip around to help them reel so it was quite funny to watch them do it by themselves. Glad you had a great experience!

This is the only picture I got of Abbie's fish before it jumped off her hook. Next time!

The pictures in the canoe were taken by putting the camera above my head facing backwards. I couldn't afford to flip the boat and didn't want to either. So I would just point the camera backwards and click the photo. Pretty good for not even looking! This was the only time we really got rained on. I just kept telling the kids that were in the canoe at the times if it started raining or hailing (luckily it only hailed once) I would tell them here comes our good luck charm. Fishing was really good during the rain sprinkles. The kids loved that the good luck charm was working.

The kids all wanted to touch the fish. Kaden told me on our walk back to the boat ramp that he even touched the fishs' eye. Ewe....but he was so proud of that...so funny...all of the kids loved touching the fish.

Here's Kai's fish....only grandpa and kai got to keep their fish! Good job guys!

Reed and Justin took the canoe out for a spin before they headed back to the boat dock.

Every year we have a whirley pop contest. I forgot my SD card for my camera(left it in the computer) the first day so, I had to copy a few pictures from my sisters even borrowing my sister's camera in the canoe to get some pictures of the events. I didn't want to miss anything. Thanks Reed for running to Evanston to get me a new SD card. You saved the day! I finally got my card right before the whirley pop contest! Thanks honey...you knew how much pictures of my family mean to me. Love ya!

Here's the trophy you win if you have the winning recipe. You get points for presentation and taste. Here's my dad showing off the trophy before they have to pass it onto this year's winner. The previous year's winner is the judge for the next year.

This year Jennie and John came up with a little twist to the contest and did an iron chef edition. There were secret ingredients that you got extra points for using. The secret ingredients were toffee bits or peanuts.

John read the new contest rules for this year. It was really fun! My parents were the judges and nobody knew the secret ingredient until the contest started. You had 1 hour to complete your creation.

Look how yummy!

This year we went out on a limb when we found a "Bacon flavored" whirley pop recipe. We went over the top on presentation with a BLT plate to make up for our interesting recipe with root beer for each of the judges to cleanse their pallett. It actually tasted really good. Go figure...although the other's presentation was pretty impressive...don't you think?

And the winner is..............

The pace family with their delicious babe ruth popcorn bars.

That evening after the festivities we did a tribute to those we lost this year. We blew up a whole bunch of balloons for everyone to write messages to those we lost this year. The balloons had glow sticks in them so we got to watch them float away into the night sky.

Dad read the poem from Dustin's program. There wasn't a dry tear as we came together as close as we could squeeze and let the balloons go together. The balloons glowed with the glow sticks as they floated to the star lit sky. My mom and I started singing Families can be Together Forever accapella and everyone joined in. It was such a perfect tribute to realize that our family is changed yet we are always there for each other. We love and miss you both Dustin and Jacob. We did get a good laugh when nobody wanted to leave such a special moment and we just stayed all together looking at the beautiful sky of stars. All of a sudden a little truck comes down the road blaring some music. It is something that Dustin would have listened to and we all just laughed because it was SO him. He was fun like that and wouldn't want us to stay sad that he was gone. It definetely lightened the mood. It was even funnier when the truck came back the same way it had gone and still had the music blaring. Ashley made the comment that it sounds just like the music Dustin would listen to. When the vehicle came back by we got a good laugh as Ashley said, "Ok Dustin, we get the picture." It was fun. I can just see Dustin causing a rucus. The evening was perfect.

We left really late that night after most of the kids were put to bed for a geo cache. You have to do this geo cache at night because you have to use flashlights to find the reflectors.

Each reflector was found and at the end was the cache in a old ammo box. The rule is that you put something in the cache if you take something out. Each of the kids had brought something to leave in the cache.

My dad signed the book telling the next person the date we found the cache and who had been there. It was cool to see that this cache was found every few days. Too cool!

The biggest activity was 4-wheeling...the kids couldn't get enough.

The kids didn't mind the dust and dirt...they were having so much fun!

Jennie and John brought marshmallow guns. The kids loved this and just kept filling and filling their marshmallow guns.

I love how Morgan is pointing the marshmallow gun right at Kaden and he just watches her as the marshmallow hits him in his hair.

Reed got in the action and showed the kids how to shoot ten at a time. The kids were thrilled with their new training. Now they really got into it.

Allisha and Eli watching the kids marshmallow fight.

While the men went target shooting, the kids and women did crafts. The little girls made hop-scotch out of bubble wrap. So, as they jumped it would pop! This was a huge hit and very noisy! After the kids got bored with staying on the numbers they put them in a pile and jumped in it like a pile of leaves. I guess our kids don't need much to entertain themselves.

The girls making their hop scotch bubble wrap number squares and Courtney watching all the fun.

Leah enjoying being with the girls crafting while playing on the floor with her toys.

The kids put in their ear plugs and sat on the 4-wheelers waiting to go riding again. They each had a snack and loved to sit on the 4-wheelers playing. I guess they could find fun anywhere as long as the cousins were together.

I had a hard time getting into a groove and hitting the clay pigeons. It took me a little while to get my shot on target but after I did, I hit almost all of my clay pigeons. So fun to do this as a family.

Isaac helped uncle larry with the clay pigeons. They sat in the 4-wheeler trailer and kept the targets coming...good job buddy!

Annie Oakley herself...or some of you know her by Nichole!

I asked Isaac to let me take a picture of him helping uncle larry with the targets. Of course, he became hercules the shot put thrower. Isaac, you make me laugh!

Gee, I wonder where he got it............

We took a 4-wheeler ride to go shooting because the shooting range closed at 5 p.m. and Justin hadn't got to shoot his new gun so, we headed out on 4-wheelers to find a cool place to target practice. I still can't believe how big of a hole his hand gun could put in the used metal ammo box, pretty impressive.

Our targets

The guys having a good time.

The ladies even took some turns. It was fun to spend time with our hubbies without the kids.

Nichole and I goofing off while the men were shooting.

Dad cooking his classic breakfast...bacon, sausage, pancakes, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns...the works. YUM! Such yummy smells to wake up to in the morning!

Abbie and her cousin Zaralynn...I just love this photo. This year we decided to take family photos....so photographer Nichole took these family pictures.